Jewelry-clasp.



0. H. SLEEPER.

. JEWELRY CLASP. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14. 1916.

a g g? Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

, vention.

OTIS H. sLEE'PZER, oi EXETER, HAll/LPdHTRE;

JEWELRY-other.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1;, OTIS SLEEPER, citizen of the United-States, residing at Exeter, county of Rockingharn, State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Jewelry-Clasps, of which the following is a specification This invention relates to jewelry .clasps, and particularly to a locking device for the pin element of a brooch or'flielike. o h The object of my invention is to provide in a simple, neat and inexpensive construction pin loo-k which will positively prevent accidental disengagementof the pin and will be capable of ready manipulation to fasten vand unfasten the pin. This object is secured in the device of the present invention. Briefly, my device consists of a; pair of space'd'yieldable arms secured to the brooch or other article of jewelry and between which the pin is adapted to be forced and retained by a retainlng device consisting in the form shown of a link or ring swiveledto one of the arms and adapted to be engaged with the other arm above thepin to' thereby lock the arms together and thus retain the pin in the recess defined bythe pair of arms. By this construction any disengaging tendency of the pin is met by the portions of the arm overlying the pin. The upward disengaging pressure of the pin simply tends to spread the arms apart and this tendencyis met by the overlying ring which thereby forced into tight engagement with the pair of locking arms; p 1

The construction and manner of using my device is fully disclosed in; thespeoification which follows. In the drawing-s,- accompanying that specification I- have shown a jewelry clasp which has been found-satisfactory in use and well adapted to the requirements of manufacture; Throughout this specification anddrawings like reference characters indicate'corresponding parts. In the drawings: m r I Figure. 1 is a side of a bar pin equipped with a pin lock in accordancewith my in- Fig: 2 is an end view thereof showing in full lines the locked position of the catch and in dotted lines the o en-posi-tion thereof. For the purposes 0 this application I Sptiifieation of Letters harem.

back upon itself as here shown consists of is swung in the eyes-to lie trainsv across the: pin socket and to engage over the Application fiieaomber 14-, 191 serial no. 125,735.

have illustrated my locking 'device as applied to a bar pin, although itwillbe understood that my device may be used with any article of jewelry; Ihave indicated at 1 the bar of a bar pin: The bar 1 is provided at one end with a pair of spaced ears 2between which is pivoted at 3 a 4; U on the other end of the bar 1' is moi'lnted i'ny improved pin lock.

This lock consists of a pair of s acer-1 resilient locking arms 5 and'v6 between vvh-ic'h the pin is adapted to be forced, and-a retaining device 7 swiveled to one of said arms and adapted to be swung with the other arm to thereby retain the pin between said arms by locking the arms together, i

I As here showm the 5 and '6' are drawings, being soldered or otherwise secured to the bar 1 at the closed portiofi of the loop: The free end of the arm '6' is" bent 7 shown to form aney 8 III which is swiveled the retainer, which as y a simpllink or ring The opposite arm ais formed at its free end as a locking shoulder 9 under which the ring 7 is adapted to be engaged when the Patented net. as, tea *2. I

catch is fastened. The arms 5 and 6- a"re preferably bent to produce opposite portions disposedclose enough to' each other to be engaged and spread open'by the pin in its movementinto and out of the recess defined by said arms; (see Fig. 2'): 1

In the use of my device, the pin Q is rotten between the arms 5" and 6'; spreading the arms apart in this movement," until it lies in therecess defined by said sparc'd arms. The inherent resiliency oft'he permits this spreading action and automatically returns the arms to normal" position, With thepin thusentered inith'e locking recess the ring 7 ersei upper" end of the" arm- 6 under thesheuldei' 9 thereof. Any tendency of the pin 4P to disengage from the fastener by sp'readingapart thearms is therefore met by the overlying ring 7 and this" disengaging tendency plyfo'roe's the ring fartherunderthesheiil der 9 and farther upwardly in the eye 8, thus increasing the tightness of the lock. The upward pressure 01" the pin in its disengaging tendency is converted into horizontal pressure upon the arms, thereby tending to spread the arms and consequently more firmly retain the locking ring in place. To unfasten the catch and release the pin it is simply necessary to disengage the ring 7 from the shoulder 9. This may readily be effected by pressing the arms 5 and 6 toward each other slightly to shorten the distance between said arms and allow the ring to be disengaged from the shoulder 9, and drop to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Thepin may then be withdrawn from between the arms 5 and 6 by simply pulling it outwardly away from the bar 1, the arms yielding away from each other slightly as the pin passes the bearing portions thereof. Inasmuch as the material from which the arms 5 and 6 are made is usually cylindrical in cross section, and since the pin is rounded, these bearings ofier but little resistance to the movement of the pin in either direction. These bearings, of course, are not depended upon to retain the pin in place, as that is the function of the ring itself.

Various modifications in the form and construction of my device may obviously be resorted to if within the limits oi the ap pended claims.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure'by Letters Patent is:

1. A pin lock consisting oi": a pair of spaced members between which the pin is adapted to lie, and an annular retainer swiveled to one of said members and adapted for locking engagement with the other member, and adapted when engaged to prevent separation of the members under the spreading apart tendency exerted against said members by the pin in its disengaging movement.

2. A pin lock consisting of a pair of spaced resilient arms between which the pin i adapted to lie, one provided with a looking portion and the other having an eye portion, and a retainer swiveled in said eye portion and adapted for engagement under said locking portion, and adapted when engaged to prevent separation of the arms under the spreading apart tendency exerted against said arms by the pin in its disengaging movement.

3. A pin lockconsisting of a one piece U-shaped member of resilient material provided with a locking shoulder at one terminus and an eye at its other terminus, and a retaining ring turnably mounted in said eye. and adapted for locking engagement with said shoulder.

4:. A clasp for use with an article of jewelry having a body portion and a fastening element mounted on said body portion, comprising a li-shaped resilient n1ember secured at the closed portion thereof to the body portion of the article of jewelry, one oi he arms of said member terminating in a locking portion, and the other arm terminating in an oppositely disposed eye, and a ring turnably mounted in said eye and adapted to be swung over the space between said arms and engaged with the shoulder to overlie the space between said arms and meet any tendency of the arms to spread apart under the pressure exerted thereagainst by the fastening element in its disengaging movement.

5. A pin lock consisting of a pair of spaced yieldable members between which the pin is adapted to lie, said members having portions disposed toward each other and dc fining a recess oi less width than the cross section of the pin, so that a disengaging movement of the pin exerts a spreading apart tendency upon said spaced members at said opposed portions, and a retaining device carried by one of said members and adapted for detachable engagement with the othermember and when engaged to prevent separation of said spaced members.

6. A pin lock consisting of a pair of spaced yieldable members bent to define a recess of less width than the cross section oi the pin, and yielding away from each oth r to permit the pin to be entered in said recess, said portions receiving the pressure of the pin upon a disengaging movement thereof, and said pressure tending to spread apart said members and a retainer swiveled to one of said members above said restricted recess and adapted tor-locking engagement with t is other member and when engaged preventing separation of the said members.

7. A look consisting or a pair of opposed members yieldable away from each other to permit an element to be locked to be entered therebetween, and automatically returning to normal position after such entr said members receiving the pressure of the element to be looked upon a disengaging movement thereof, said pressure tending to separate said members, and means to prevent separation of said members upon a disengaging movement of the element to be locked. i

8. A look consisting of a pair of spaced opposed members between which an element to be locked is adapted to be inserted,said

'members meeting the pressure of the element to be looked upon a disengaging movement thereof in one direction, and means locking said memb rs against the pressure of said element to be looked upon a disengaging movement of said elementinone direction.

9. A look consisting of a pair of spaced opposed members between which an element to be locked is adapted to be insertedgnne of said members having a locking shoulder, and a retainer carried by the other of said members, and adapted for locking-engagement With said shoulder and When engaged overlying the space between said members and resisting the unlocking tendency of the element to be locked.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 1n presence of two Witnesses.

PERLEY B. SLEEPER, HARRY L. HAYES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

